The Sunset Room
by bby adorkable
Summary: Determined to reach super saiyan, Vegeta discovers a way to harness the moon’s powers and becomes obsessed with the possibilities. Nothing can stop him, until a pregnant Bulma, using her genius and wits, attempts to truly touch the father of her child.
1. It just happened

Just a short intro; longer chapters to come (hopefully). Please review!

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_I was brought up and educated in a family in which bearing a child out of wedlock was heavily looked down upon on. It marked the woman as impure, lacking self-control, and in general, just plain stupid. So, being the supposed genius I was, what did I do? I got pregnant._

_Of course, given a chance to defend myself, I have to say that the circumstances involved are far more complicated than it sounds. Normal women didn't get visited by their son from the future, didn't live a bedroom away from an incredibly arrogant, short-tempered, yet attractive prince, and didn't have the future fate of the world resting in their belly._

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1. It Just Happened

The world did not know Bulma Briefs. She was, on the outside, a beautiful and intelligent young woman who had all the money in the world- all the luxury and all the fame. As daughter of the renowned Dr. Briefs and the sole heiress to Capsule Corp, she was set for life. There was nothing she wanted but couldn't get and no one dared refused her. Her life, in essence, was perfect.

Of course, this was the image she had to keep up, so one day, when she couldn't live up to the role she was expected to play anymore, she disappeared. For about nine months.

If the world had known that the child she was bearing would eventually play a part in saving everyone, as clichéd as that sounded, they would have accepted her situation. But, unable to really explain how she could know such a thing without giving away too many secrets of the Z-fighters, Bulma found herself a prisoner of her own home, constantly hassled by the media, who seemed to have found a permanent residency on her front lawn. It was ridiculously annoying, to say the least.

Her parents promised to support her every step of the way, taking great pains to stay with her in the house and keep her company. Dr. Briefs cut the time he spent in his lab by more than half and dedicated it to his daughter and Bunny Briefs doubled the time she spent cooking to satisfy the needs of both her daughter and the unborn child inside her. This was a great opportunity, actually, for Bulma to spend quality time with her parents inside her home, had it not been for the fourth occupant of this so-called "prison".

There was no denying the constant presence of the self-proclaimed saiyan prince, and even when he disappeared into the gravity room for hours at a time, or retreated to his bedroom, he was there in Bulma's mind. It bugged her to no end that there were so many reminders of him everywhere in her life. Aside from her growing belly, the house lingered of his scent when he trailed down the stairs after a hot shower, piles of dishes filled the sinks after dinner, and the hum of the gravity machine kept her up at night.

Bulma was convinced that she had no actual feelings for the man, only a physical attraction that landed her in her current state. She was ashamed of her actions, but not of her choices. In all honesty, she had to admit that out of all the men who could have fathered her child, there wasn't a better man than Vegeta. As for everything else, she decided she would face the consequences of her own stupid decisions while working hard to bring her life back to the way it was before.

When the baby was delivered, downstairs in the private medical rooms of Capsule Corp, Vegeta was not present. As far as he was concerned, the brat had nothing to do with him. It would only be useful once it was old enough to train. Bulma had expected to be on her own, so it was no surprise when the only person in the room was the doctor her father had brought in. The child never touched her arm, as he was whipped away by a group of nurses, leaving Bulma in the quiet room by herself.

Nothing seemed real yet. The bulge on her stomach was gone and really, it felt like nothing had happened. The past nine months turned into nothing- a long forgotten memory crammed into the back of her mind. That was good, right? She was, in a way, relieved of her burden, and she could start up her life again. The pesky reporters would eventually give up and leave her alone, she could go back to her current research project, and her body would eventually return to the beautiful figure she once had. Perfect.

But of course, once a mother, it was hard to forget.


	2. but something changed

I'd like to point out that if you put all the chapter titles together, one after the other, they make a sentence that basically summarizes the entire plot :)

And, just a note: _italics_ are what the character is thinking.

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2. But Something Changed

Bulma had fallen asleep beside the crib, only to be woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of crying. _Loud _crying- more screams than cries, really. Not yet used to having a baby to take care of, she woke in a daze and momentarily panicked. Where was she? Her room? No… And where was that sound coming from?!

A flash of lavender caught her eye as the moonlight reflected off the small tuft of hair on the baby's head and almost immediately, her mind cleared up. She was in the nursery, sitting on the stool beside the crib, one arm swung over the railing, the other in her lap. And the baby was crying... again.

She stood up and switched on the nightlight, then picked up the baby and cuddled him against her chest. "C'mon Trunks, don't cry now, please", the last bit came out as a frustrated groan. She wanted to be patient with him, but it was really hard to do so when she was lacking so much sleep. "Shhh", she whispered, patting the back of the baby gently. She'd already burped him, he didn't smell like he needed a diaper change, and the temperature in the room wasn't too hot or too cold. So… maybe he was hungry?

It was worth a try, so Bulma seated herself in the rocking chair beside the door, taking extra care to watch where she was sitting. Even with the nightlight on, the room was dark, and she was in no mood to risk missing the chair and finding her bottom painfully on the floor. After settling the crying baby on her lap, Bulma slipped one strap of the tank top she was wearing off the shoulder and pulled the child to her, letting out a sigh of relief when he finally quieted.

Without the crying, it was rather peaceful in the nursery. Across from the door was a large window that spanned almost the entire wall. Occasionally, a warm breeze entered through the partially opened window, inviting the curtains to dance lightly and cast shadows over the carpeted floor of the room. The dim glow of the nightlight, which was a soft blue color, gave the room a calm, soothing atmosphere that put Bulma at ease.

She checked to make sure Trunks was still at her breast, then leaned her head back against the chair and sighed. Her eyelids grew heavy and she found herself drifting in and out of consciousness. The room was becoming darker and she could no longer feel the weight of the child in her arms. She was almost asleep when the child burst out crying again, and a moment later, the door to the nursery banged open.

"Shut that thing up, woman!" The light from the hallways caused Vegeta's shadow to spill into the room, darkening the area beside the rocking chair where Bulma sat. She looked up, startled.

Fatigue had slowed her brain down by a great deal and she simply didn't have enough time to react, or even to remember to get angry at Vegeta for being so insensitive. Trunks wailed louder, drawing his father's attention to his tiny figure, which was now thrashing wildly in Bulma's arms. Vegeta's eyes traveled from the baby's wide open mouth, along the outline of his chubby face, and to Bulma's exposed chest, throwing him off for just a fraction of a second. His eyes narrowed and he quickly looked up, only to find himself staring right into Bulma's enormous blue eyes. It was difficult to look away. She was tired and confused, her brain trying its best to sort out the current situation. Vegeta froze, a brief flash of guilt gracing his eyes before they darkened again.

"Saiyans have extremely sensitive ears", he growled, quickly catching himself, his cold composure returning. "So shut him up".

The door slammed behind him and Bulma winced at the noise, knowing it would only irritate the baby even more. Trunks, however, fell silent. He shifted in Bulma's arms, giving her enough space to fix her shirt, then pull him into a close hug. He was a smart baby, to say the least, and even if he couldn't understand words yet, he managed to gather the overall implications of what had just happened.

"C'mon Trunks, let's put this on you to keep you warm, alright?" Bulma murmured as she took the small black beanie beside her and placed it on her sons head. She adjusted the two ears on the cap so that they stood up like tiny devil ears, then arranged what little hair Trunks had along his forehead to imitate Vegeta's pointed hairline. "Mm", she smiled, "you look just like your daddy".

Trunks couldn't have understood anything she said, but he rearranged his face so that his features imitated the scowl Vegeta was constantly wearing. Bulma only smiled bigger, delighted with the mental capacities of her child. "Heh, and here I was, worrying that Vegeta's genes would make you stupid". She chuckled to herself and cradled the baby in her arms. He seemed to settle down after a while, and when it was silent again, Bulma fell asleep.

* * *

Despite the amount of energy it took to quiet a crying baby at night, Bulma was convinced that it was ten times more difficult to take care of her Trunks during the day, especially if they were away from the house. While her parents offered to take care of everything, Bulma knew she couldn't rely on them forever. So, unable to let go of her stubborn nature, Bulma brought her son out with her on a grocery shopping trip. Bad choice.

Some children were easy to take care of; they slept all day. Others were a bit noisier and curious and constantly babbled. Still, others were rowdy and liked to cry. But none could compare to Trunks, who had an endless supply of energy. He began protesting the moment Bulma strapped him in the car-seat, banging his fists on the side and grunting as he tried to wiggle his way out of the restraints. When that didn't work, he began screaming, kicking his feet in the air and preventing Bulma from concentration on the road.

With a sigh, she pulled over and turned to look at Trunks, who'd fallen silent once the car stopped. "Please, be quiet for a bit, ok, Trunksie?" she pleaded. He babbled a reply and she couldn't help smiling. It may have taken a lot of energy to care for him, but even the slightest action made her feel like the happiest mother in the world.

"Ok, Trunksie, here we go", she grinned, "and remember, be quiet, just for a while, ok?"

They made it to the market in silence and Bulma was really beginning to consider the possibility that Trunks was actually a genius baby who could understand everything she was saying. _Just like your mommy_, she thought smugly.

But, whether the child was smart or not had absolutely no effect on his curiosity. Once inside the market, the pyramids of fruits and stacks of vegetables, which came in every color possible, caught Trunk's attention and he burst into noise. Every head in the area turned to look for the source of the sound, which was extremely loud, especially with Trunk's partially saiyan nature.

"Shh!" Bulma winced as Trunks grabbed for the nearest fruit, successfully got a hold of it, and threw it at a nearby shopper. There was a collective gasp that rang throughout the room and Bulma quickly apologized, her cheeks turning bright red from the embarrassment. She picked Trunks up from the shopping cart and darted out of the market, her heart thudding loudly. "Why'd you have to go do that?" she asked as she settled Trunks back into the car seat, "You should know better!" But there was no point in scolding a child who couldn't understand a single word, so Bulma sat herself down in the driver's seat and started the car. _I guess the market will have to wait, _she thought.

Unable to finish her errands, Bulma was in no mood to go home. The last thing she needed was to be proven wrong by her parents. So, she wandered aimlessly into a nearby park, got out of the car, decided it was a nice day to be outside, and found a bench to sit on. Trunks babbled happily to himself on her lap, his small fists moving around wildly. Bulma held onto him the best she could and leaned back against the bench, looking across the park at all the other people. It made her wonder, who the hell had time during the middle of the day to come out to a park and just walk around? Most of them were kids, which made sense, but there were also couples walking around the park, holding hands and smiling.

_Don't they have anything better to do?_ _Like go to work, maybe?_ She rolled her eyes and snorted in slight amusement at her own thoughts, then adjusted Trunks on her lap. She was mentally preparing herself to face her parents and was just about to stand up and leave, when a sight caught her eye and she froze, a slight, dull ache forming in her chest.

Since her pregnancy, Bulma had seldom left the house, and thus, there were a lot of things in the outside world she hadn't seen in a while. And now, even something as trivial as a couple pushing a stroller meant a whole new thing to her. She watched the man and woman walk across the path in front of her, the man with both hands on the handles of the stroller, the woman with her hands gripping the arms of the man. They were dressed in matching clothes, which, as cheesy as it had used to seem to her, now seemed like an incredibly romantic idea. She watched them pass her, engaged in conversation, with smiles on their faces. It just looked like such a fun thing to do.

Bulma made a mental note to take Trunks out in a stroller some day and then returned to her car with a smile on her face. _That's right, _she thought, _with a stroller, we can have just as much fun! Not._ She sighed, the smile slipping of her face. Who was she kidding? She could push Trunks around all day long in a stroller, and she would still, in essence, be alone. You couldn't have a conversation with a baby.

As Bulma buckled her seat belt, the realization that she would never be able to go on a walk with a baby and a husband dawned on her. Despite the fact that Vegeta already lived in her house and that their arguments made them as good as married, there were some things that she would never experience. "Well that just sucks", she muttered to herself, starting the car.

Bulma's mood only worsened when she arrived at home. Her parents were making dinner together in the kitchen, talking and laughing loudly. She sighed and brought Trunks upstairs into the nursery, settling him in the crib. He'd fallen asleep on the way home, but the rare quietness did nothing to soothe Bulma's bitter feelings. She returned downstairs with a scowl on her face, deep in thought, and plopped down on the couch. Her mind was still playing and re-playing the images of the couple she saw in the park as her hand unconsciously reached for the remote. She was flipping aimlessly through the channels without realizing it.

When a bang from the kitchen, followed by her mother's scream and her father's laugh woke her from her daze, Bulma realized what channel she had landed on. _You've got to be kidding me_, she groaned inwardly, _there's actually a parenting channel? Who watches this?!_ She tossed the remote aside and stormed out of the room, up the stairs, and into her bedroom, where she flung herself onto her bed and buried her face in a pillow.

_I'm being stupid_, she thought_, completely idiotic. It's hormones… Damn hormones. _"This after-pregnancy hormone surge thing is driving me crazy!" she shouted aloud. _I'm being all girly and emotional and disgusting, nothing like the way a great scientist is supposed to be_, she thought. "I'm fine the way I was before. The only thing that's different is that I've got Trunks now. But there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with anything! Except I'm talking to myself..." she paused, squeezed her eyes shut, then slowly opened them. "So now, I'm going to get back to my old life, forget about families and settling down and husbands and taking strolls. Stupid stroller. And everything will be _fine_". Yeah, right.

She got up and went to her mirror, her reflection staring back at her. There was a blue-haired beauty in the mirror, with intelligent eyes and a calm smile. It didn't look like anything was wrong with her, and it most certainly didn't look like there was any scheming going on in her head. But of course, Bulma was a woman, and women were known to have extremely complicated minds. Her innocent gaze gave away nothing about the plan that was slowly beginning to form in her head.

_I don't care if I'm acting illogically, just this once_, she decided. _I'm a woman, I need a man, and Trunks deserves a real father- it's just that simple. Vegeta will never know what hit him._

_

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_

QUESTION! What should be Bulma's first attempt to, erm, "persuade" Vegeta to join efforts with her in raising Trunks?


	3. so she does something about it

3. So She Does Something About It

It was a little after eleven in the morning when Bulma finally figured out her plan for the day. She knew Vegeta had been up since five and had trained until ten, then stomped into the house, demanding food. She was finishing up the large pile of dishes he'd left in the sink when she heard the door to his room slam, which meant he was going to take a shower, then nap. It was the same routine everyday and Bulma used this knowledge to her advantage. She waited long enough until she was sure Vegeta had fallen asleep, then hurried up the stairs and into the nursery. She'd fully expected Trunks to be awake and alert, and had planned on using his noisiness and excess energy to annoy the hell out of Vegeta, but to her surprise, the little boy was fast asleep, curled into a ball in one corner of the crib, a blanket clutched tightly in his fists.

Bulma didn't have to heart to wake up her son, so she scooped him into her arms and arranged the blanket so that it wrapped around him, then walked over to Vegeta's room. She paused at the door, placing her free hand in her pocket and pulling out her secret weapon. The master key that could open every room in the house dangled from her fingers and she smirked as she stuck it in the keyhole. The door opened silently and swiftly and, with a deep breath, Bulma stepped inside.

The darkest room in the house, "darkest" being used in more than one way, was, without doubt, Vegeta's bedroom. Even with the sun shining its brightest outside, the room was shadowed in heavy curtains so that no light could enter. The walls and carpet were a deep color, although the specific color itself could not be named, as no one had ever seen them under a light source. Despite the darkness that shrouded the room, it was surprisingly clean. There was a large bed in the center of the room, covered with dark sheets and numerous pillows. To one side stood a dresser, with a simple television set on top of it. The other half of the room contained a long couch with a thin, silk sheet laid over it. There was nothing else in the room, save for a large window covered by drapes and two doors, one leading into the room from the rest of the house, and the other leading to a small bathroom.

For Bulma, this room also held one of her darkest memories. Her heart thudded loudly as her senses became overwhelmed, bringing back a flood of images that caused her head to spin. She paused and took a deep breath to clear her mind, but the simple act of inhaling the air around her made her heart speed up even more. Vegeta's scent was strongest in this part of the house, an exotic mix of smells that demanded her attention. Bulma's eyes narrowed as she struggled to regain the logical side of her. She tightened her hold on her son and placed her other hand against the wall, steadying herself lest her legs give away and she collapse on the floor.

She had mistakenly believed that she'd come up with the perfect plan, but in a flurry of emotions and frustration, she'd completely forgotten that there was much more beyond figuring out when and how to get into Vegeta's room. She was now at a loss, because Vegeta was lying motionless on the bed and Trunks was still asleep. The whole point was for Trunks to annoy the crap out of his father, but if he wasn't even awake, what good would it be?

Bulma decided she'd come too far to retreat now, so she shuffled over towards the couch, deciding she would wait it out. Her brain knew it wasn't the best idea, but at that time, she couldn't care less. When she finally made it over to the couch, Bulma was surprised to find it covered with books and pieces of paper. She shifted Trunks from one arm to the other, then picked up the nearest book and squinted in the dim light at the words on the cover. _The Lunar Cycle for Dummies? _ The book looked thoroughly used, with wrinkled pages and a missing back-cover. A piece of paper fell out as Bulma flipped the page and she looked at it curiously. There were notes scribbled across the paper, and although she had never seen that handwriting before, she was sure it could belong to no one but Vegeta. "I'm surprised", she murmured quietly to herself, the tips of her mouth curving up in amusement, "who knew a barbarian could read _and_ write?"

She was about to put the book back down and reach for another one, when she felt a trickle of warm air hit the back of her neck, causing her body to fall rigid. She could barely hold onto Trunks, and when something brushed against her arm, she shrieked and jumped about five feet in the air, dropping the book in her hand, as well as the sleeping baby.

Bulma watched in shock as the blanket around Trunks unwound itself and everything began going in slow motion. Her mind had already jumped a few steps ahead and was blaming herself for causing harm to her baby, when a hand shot out and caught Trunks before he hit the floor, waking him up, but keeping him from any injury. She froze as Trunks burst out crying, wailing at the top of his lungs in protest of being woken up.

"You-you're supposed to be asleep", she managed to gasp, her cheeks glowing red.

There was a scoff behind her, followed by an arrogant string of words with a tone that sent shivers down her spine. "I was awake the moment you pulled that key out of your pocket. You think you can get past me?"

"I-"

"And what are you doing in here, woman? Don't you think one of these is enough?" Vegeta stepped in front of her and held Trunks up, a smirk creeping onto his face as he waited for Bulma to process the underlying meaning of his words.

She didn't dare open her mouth, knowing that she would only be able to sputter something unintelligible and make a fool out of herself. In this case, silence was the better way to go. Her hands remained firmly at her sides, refusing to take back the child.

"Actually, that's exactly why I'm here", she retorted, struggling to keep up a calm, outer façade. "You helped make him too, so you take care of him now".

Before Vegeta could reply, she whirled around and ran out of the room, stumbling a little, but not daring to stop. She threw the door shut behind her as she landed in the hallway, gripping the handle and pulling it against the doorframe, as if somehow, a measly piece of wood with a knob could keep her safe from the likes of a saiyan. _There! Now he's stuck with little Trunksie, _Bulma thought, _he'll be forced to take care of him!_

It was only then, that she realized what she'd done. Vegeta was not one to be forced into doing anything, especially a task that he considered "women's work". If anything, she'd just put her son in mortal danger. "He's going to hurt him!" she smacked her forehead and groaned, "stupid, stupid, I'm so stupid!"

"Vegeta! I take it back! Let me in!!" Bulma pounded on the door, wondering vaguely in the back of her mind how Vegeta had managed to get it to auto-lock. "Trunks! Don't do anything to him!"

The door cracked open and Vegeta peeked out. The room was still just as dark as before, and with the minimal amount of light in the hallway, Bulma could only see a pair of rather intimidating eyes and a smirk.

"Hey, you said you wanted me to _take care_ of him, right?" The door slammed shut.

After hearing the door lock behind him with a satisfying _click_, Vegeta turned to Trunks and gave him a triumphant grin. "I just gave your mother a little heart attack", he announced, not caring that the kid couldn't understand him. Trunks grinned in reply and looked up curiously from his spot on the bed, where he'd found a nice, cozy spot among the pillows. Vegeta sat down on the bed and sighed. He didn't feel like going back to sleep, not after he had been so rudely awaken. He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair, then looked at the little boy beside him. Trunks stared back with wide eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Vegeta scowled, "I could blow you into a thousand tiny pieces, you know that? They wouldn't even be able to find a body." Trunks grinned and reached out, punching his chubby fist against Vegeta's arm. He raised an eyebrow in amusement and slight surprise. _Practically born yesterday, and he's already got more strength than the woman_, he thought. _The brat has potential. _Encouraged by Vegeta's slightly more positive facial expression, Trunks reached out his other fist and punched his father again, grinning wildly when Vegeta picked him up in one swift swoop and dangled him upside-down by one leg.

"You're a half-breed kid; a complete disgrace to saiyans… but, we can change that, can't we?" Vegeta examined the baby in front of him careful, taking in for the first time the strangely colored eyes and small tuft of hair. Even in the dark room, the lavender managed to proudly display itself, a rare trait that resulted from Bulma's own uniquely colored hair.

Vegeta was about to put Trunks back down when he felt a sudden surge of energy in the house, immediately alerting his senses and causing him to jump to his feet. He threw open the door to his room and flew outside, _yes_, he literally _flew_, searching for the source. "Kakarot! What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily.

"Uh… Bulma said you were -ack! What are YOU doing?!" Goku's mouth fell open in surprise at the sight before him. Vegeta hovered a few feet in the air, scowling and holding Trunks as if he were a rag doll. "Y- You can't do that to him! He's a baby! Vege-"

"VEGETA!" Bulma's shriek drowned out Goku's voice as she lunged forward, quickly rescuing Trunks from his father. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" she screamed, cradling Trunks to her chest. She was beyond shocked at the fact that she'd just seen her son hanging several feet in the air, face down, held by _one foot_.

"He's fine, woman", Vegeta scowled, "you underestimate him". He placed his feet on the ground and turned around, walking away smoothly without another word.

"I can't believe him", Bulma fumed, turning to Goku, who looked ready to bail at the sight of the angry woman in front of him. "He has absolutely no heart, no soul, no nothing! Just a worthless, empty shell of muscle! Agh! Trunks, Trunksie, are you ok?" She stalked past Goku, who'd backed himself against the banister of the stairs in fear of a wrathful Bulma, and into the nursery, where she settled the baby back in his crib. "I should never have dragged you into this", she murmured, "I was just being stupid. Stupid me, stupid Vegeta, ugh".

She sighed heavily and returned to the hallway, where she dismissed Goku and sent him home, thanking him for the trouble. "It's impossible to deal with him", she added after saying goodbye.

"Who, Vegeta?" Goku turned around, two fingers still on his forehead, "he's just misunderstood a lot, I think. He's really not that bad".

"You should keep your nice guy statements to yourself", Bulma replied wryly, "I'm telling you, he's impossible".

"Well, what do you want from him exactly?" Goku asked curiously.

"Just… a little responsibility", Bulma sighed, "He never does anything for anyone except himself. Trunks needs a father figure, you know?"

"I think there's more that you want", Goku said thoughtfully, "Like, maybe… you want his attention for yourself too?"

"What?! Th-that's absurd", Bulma rolled her eyes. "Why would I want that?"

"I don't know", Goku shrugged, "but that's what Chichi told me. She said I cared too much about training and stuff and I didn't pay enough attention to her. I mean, you two are both women, right? So it's probably the same thing". He grinned, unaware of the effect his words had on Bulma, then waved goodbye and disappeared.

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Comments? Suggestions? Reviews? HUGS!?? :D


	4. They struggle and it seems

Have not been updating (sorry!) because... i don't know, just because. BUT, I'm on summer break now, so i'll (hopefully) have more time (And motivation). Reviews are much appreciated.

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4. They struggle and it seems…

Vegeta woke up in the middle of the night, gasping hard and drenched in sweat. His nightmares had returned. Instead of the vividly defined battle scenes he used to dream about several months ago, he was now receiving only fuzzy images of enemies, flashes of light, and an overall sense of defeat and helplessness. The warning about the androids who were to come resounded in his head, the echoes of their voices repeating in his mind. He'd never really met these enemies yet, but his mind had created images of them for him: horrific beings that radiated power and threat. He could _not_ lose to them.

He pushed the covers away from him and sat up, running a hand through his hair in an effort to calm himself. Even in his awakened state, where he was not vulnerable to the nightmares, there was still a haunting feeling surrounding him. He sighed and got up, striding over to the windows and pushing aside the curtains. It'd been a long time since he'd allowed light into his room. Sunlight, he didn't mind; it was moonlight that he'd shied away from for the longest time.

To him, the moon and virtually anything associated with it meant both good and bad. It reminded him of home, of course, of the power that those in his race had been blessed with. It was a symbol of strength for his people, yet, at the same time, it emphasized his individual weakness. The Saiyans were no more, and he, who'd once been the pride of his planet, a young prince who had so much potential, was now stranded among a pathetic, weak-willed race of humans. And the light from the moon only taunted him even more.

He glanced at the moon and took a deep breath, allowing the temporary rush of power to flow through his body. Then, with a wistful look on his face, he shut the the curtains again. The only light left in the room came from the crack under the door, where the yellow-ish glow of the lights in the hallway leaked in. But, for Vegeta's sharp saiyan sense, that was more than enough. He pushed aside some books on the couch and sat down, then began to read.

* * *

Bulma was back in the nursery again, another sleepless night spent on tending to an insatiable Trunks. He could wail and wail for hours and there would still be nothing to suggest he was the slightest bit fatigued. Bulma blamed it on the ridiculously large amount of endurance attributed to those of the saiyan race.

"See, this is why your _father_ should make himself useful", she said aloud, "he could be up all night watching you and he'd still have more energy than any regular person in the morning. This is just so unfair". Trunks paused to stare at her for a moment, then turned away. "Huh, and Goku says it's because _I'm_ the one who wants attention. Oh great, now I'm talking to myself. I've probably reached my limit".

Bulma placed her arm against the side of the crib and leaned her forehead against it, struggling for all of two seconds to keep her eyes open before giving in. She was tired. She had to admit defeat at some point.

* * *

Vegeta leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes, allowing the information he'd just read to sink in. He was learning more and more about the blasted planet called "Earth" with every passing moment. It made him feel more distant from his own home planet, or what used to be a planet, but at the same time, it intrigued him. Who knew such a weak planet, with such weak inhabitants, could have such detailed and complicated inner workings? He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment, opening his senses completely until he could clearly hear the crying of that little brat from down the hall. The woman had failed to do her job and shut him up, as always. Vegeta sighed, his eyes slowly closing again as he tried his hardest to block out the noise.

His mind was full of the diagrams he'd just glossed over, showing the way the Earth and the Moon lined up, the way they interacted. Solar eclipses during the day meant he would feel the moon's power even stronger that night, lunar eclipses meant he would have better control of his human self during the select time period. Even the time during which the moon rose and set had an effect on the life on Earth.

It was, of course, too much information for him to process all at once, and although he hated to admit it, even to himself, he had overworked his mind for the moment. If there was anything he needed right then, it was some harsh training to clear his mind. He briefly considered going to sleep, but all the noise coming from the nursery prevented any chance of that. So, he got up and left the room.

Vegeta spent the next four hours in the gravity room, trying to burn off all his anger and frustration, but failing miserably. It was no longer just a matter of having excess energy that he needed to channel out of himself; this was all in his head. He was finally reduced to sitting on the floor, back against the cool tiles that made up the walls of the chamber, and forehead pressed against his knees. His arms dangled on either side of him in a defeated manner and his eyes were squeezed shut.

The sun was rising now, bringing about the first golden-blue rays of daylight that streamed in from the windows beside the control panel. Vegeta squinted at the light and sighed. Time to sleep. He pulled himself up on his feet.

When he returned from the gravity room, he immediately sensed something out of place. The door to his room was closed and everything looked normal, but it wasn't. There was a faint source of life in his room, although it was so weak he couldn't tell if he was imaging it or not. Maybe it was just a bug. He opened the door and stepped inside, raising an eyebrow in question when he saw the woman sitting on his couch, two of his books in her lap, her eyes trained on him. He hated her eyes. There wasn't a single time where he could maintain eye contact with her without getting lost in those huge, blue … things. At times, he was convinced she was a witch who'd cast some ridiculous spell on him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, too tired to bicker. He was quite aware of how he looked at that moment, with his disheveled hair and tired, bloodshot eyes. If anything, she had the upper hand right then.

"These books that you're reading are quite, erm, interesting", she commented lightly. He could sense only confidence in her voice, but the scent of fear that radiated from her gave her away.

"I'm allowed to have my own interests, aren't I?" he retorted, sliding the towel off his shoulder and proceeding towards the bathroom door.

"Vegeta, are you…are you working on a project?" her voice was slightly timid now, treading carefully so as to not set him off on an anger tantrum.

He turned to her, giving her a hard look. There was something different in the way she held herself at that exact moment, a sense of curiosity and genuine interesting coming from her. He assumed it was the brainy, scientific side of the woman that was manifesting itself in her actions.

"Something like that", he responded vaguely. The possibility of requesting her aid flashed through his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside. Sure, she may have seemed interested and he was well aware of her mental capabilities, but she lacked the ability to see things the way he saw them. He knew she was stubborn and narrow minded, that she would be against anything that would make him stronger, more of a threat to her precious family and friends. If she knew what he really wanted to do, she wouldn't have allowed it.

"Can I guess what it is?" she asked.

"What?" He hadn't expected her to say that. He was pretty sure she didn't know the history of the saiyans or the intricate details of how their biological systems functioned; there was no way she could guess what he was trying to do.

"Did you know Goku had a grandfather? An adoptive one?" she asked, not waiting for him to reply, "But Goku killed him. He didn't know about it, of course, but over the years, with what information he's provided, I figured it all out. The tail, the moon, the big monkey you guys turn into…"

"M-monkey?" Vegeta sputtered, feeling ridiculously indignant. Of course, she was unaware of the fine points of the saiyan's lifestyle, but to use such a _degrading_ term…

"Whatever it's called" Bulma glared at the interruption, "You're seeking that power, aren't you? But you can't just blindly use it the way all the other saiyans used it. See, that's how Goku killed his grandfather. He wasn't conscious during that time period, completely unaware of anything he did. And he had absolutely no memory of it either. So you want a way to harness that power without losing your mind".

"Unbelievable", Vegeta murmured quietly to himself, shaking his head slightly. It was a very general guess of what his plans were, but the woman had pretty much nailed it. Maybe she could read minds too.

"Am I right, Vegeta?" Bulma stood up and stepped closer, curiosity shining in her eyes. Vegeta stared back at her, trying to decide how to reply. He weighed the options in his head. How useful could she be if he really did request her aid? She had brains, and technology, and money. It would certainly beat sitting around and reading books and doing research on his own. But then again, that meant allowing himself to be vulnerable around her. It meant he would be sharing any information he had with her; not just the cold hard facts that were related to the biological workings of the saiyan body, but his own personal secrets as well. He decided it wasn't worth it. She meant nothing to him and he couldn't risk having a liability.

"No, you're completely off", he finally replied, "and it's none of your business". He stalked off into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, leaving behind a flabbergasted Bulma.

* * *

The hot water felt really good, each drop pelting angrily against his back, matching the way he felt. It bothered him that the woman had been correct, that she was able to read him so well. And it _did _sound like she was going to offer her help.

He wasn't stupid or anything, but he couldn't help admit there was still something missing even after all his research. He could understand everything there was to understand about the moon and he knew everything possible about the saiyan race, but he couldn't put the two together without seeing the image of the terrifying beast in his mind. It was true, saiyans fed on power, lived to kill, and were taught to have no mercy, but he couldn't get past the fact that once he entered into that destructive form, his mind would be gone. Would he trade control for power? Never. He'd done enough research to understand that saiyans fed on the power of the moon, and during the full moon, there was enough energy to catalyze a transformation. Since this was all true, he reasoned, then that energy could be harnessed, and it made sense that it was fully possible for a saiyan to retain his normal physical form while somehow still drawing on the excess amount of energy.

This, of course, was where he failed to get any further. He was convinced that it was completely possible, but he just couldn't quite say how to do so. Yet. The idea of asking the woman for help crossed his mind again and he toyed with it a little longer before pushing it away. Maybe there was some sort of technology in that gigantic lab of hers that could do the trick. Vegeta was never one to get into the whole science and technology field. He relied on pure, physical strength and instinct. Technology, in his eyes, was for those who had nothing better to resort to. And was this what he'd lowered his own standards to?

The confusing circle of thoughts only made his head hurt and Vegeta quickly shoved everything out of his mind for a moment, paused, and took a deep breath. It couldn't be that hard to ask for help. Really, even though he'd never done it before, it just couldn't be _that_ hard, could it? He was well aware of his own, prideful nature and he embraced every bit of it proudly. It was part of his being royalty and one of the few traits that he could really call his own. Would he sacrifice it to reach his goal? And what about trust? Could he trust her to keep everything a secret for him? Could he trust her enough to provide any information she asked for? _I guess I could just kill her if she doesn't comply_, he thought.

Vegeta shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around him and walked over to the mirror. He looked slightly better, but still tired. Sleep. He would sleep, then he would go talk to the woman.

* * *

"This is an almanac", Bulma placed the thick book on the table, slightly displacing the fork that Vegeta was about to pick up.

"I don't care", he replied, grabbing the fork and stabbing the largest piece of meat on his plate.

"You don't even know what it is", Bulma retorted, pushing the book closer to him. Vegeta paused, mid-bite, and looked up at her, his dark eyes demanding an explanation. Bulma sighed, "An Almanac is an annual publishing of predictions. Like, it'll tell you the weather for everyday, how high the tide goes, stuff about the stars and planets".

Vegeta gave her a "so?" look.

"Right", Bulma smiled, "it also tells us when the moon rises". She continued to smile, waiting for the full implications of her words to sink in.

"How accurate are the predictions?" Vegeta seemed unfazed.

"Well, obviously, they're just _predictions_", Bulma replied, "but almanacs have been in use for the longest time. For so long, in fact, that they barely make these anymore. You know how hard it was to get ahold of one of these?"

"Stupid woman", Vegeta rolled his eyes, "if you can't rely on something completely, then why go through the trouble of getting one?" He turned back to his food, implying that it was the end of that conversation.

"Because it's better than nothing, isn't it?" Bulma crossed her arms. He may have decided he was done talking, but she still had plenty more to say.

"It's useless", he replied, not bothering to look up.

"C'mon, Vegeta, you can give it a try, can't you? Have some faith?" She sat down in the chair beside him, hoping to coax something out of him with her words. He paused, swallowed, then tilted his head up slightly so that his dark eyes bore into hers. "Vegeta, you wanted my help, remember? I'm trying to help you, and if you'd just trust me, just a little bit, things would be so much easier for the both of us", Bulma was trying out the tone she normally used on Trunks when he wouldn't stop crying. Would it work on Vegeta?

"Why'd you agree to help me? And why do you care so much anyways? It has nothing to do with you", Vegeta lowered his eyes and dug into his food again. It was much easier to talk and argue with her when she was putting up a fight. But, faced with niceness, which was completely foreign to him, he didn't know what to do.

"This isn't about me", Bulma sat back in her chair, watching Vegeta as he ate, purposely avoiding her gaze. "See, I figured, if you get stronger, even if it's like this, then we all have a better chance of defeating those androids, right? And I know, everyone's warned me that you're not to be trusted and that you can turn on us and blah blah, but Goku trusts you. And that's good enough for me".

"Is that the only reason you're helping me?" Vegeta looked at her again.

"I don't know", Bulma shrugged, "Just take a look at this, alright?" She pushed the almanac closer to him and smiled.

Vegeta opened his mouth to reply, when he suddenly stopped and turned to Bulma, an half annoyed, half amused look on his face.

"W-what is it?" she asked.

"The brat's crying".

"You can hear him from _here_?" she frowned, getting up from her chair. Without waiting for Vegeta to reply, she disappeared into the hallway, leaving Vegeta to his food. He watched her bounce away, slightly amused at the fact that, at the mention of her son, everything that functioned in her body sped up. It amazed him how worked up she could get over a small baby.

The almanac sat in front of him, inviting him to open the covers and look inside. What good was a book full of predictions? And hadn't the woman said it was outdated? With all the technology around them, what good would a book do? Still, when it came to projects and other things like that, he'd never known her to be wrong about anything. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't hurt to listen to her.

_I'm getting softer by the moment_, he thought, disgusted with himself. He would have never imagined himself asking an earthling for help, yet here he was. Of course, he'd never imagined living in a house on this planet or creating a child with a weak human, but he'd done those things as well. _Definitely getting softer_, he sighed.

His heightened senses could easily take in everything around him, and, at that very moment, as it was quiet in the rest of the house, he could hear the one-sided conversations that Bulma was having with Trunks. Talking to a baby who couldn't understand or respond was a very silly thing to do, but for some reason, as he listened to the way she cooed at the baby and talked in baby tones, he couldn't help feel a small bit of pain in his heart. Of course, he'd never been allowed the luxury of affection and it was really a very foreign thing to him, but some part of him, as much as he wanted to deny it, was craving it.

"Don't be stupid", he quickly said aloud, feeling disgusted with the emotions that were slowly creeping up on him. "Just eat your damn food and then read the stupid almanac".

* * *

It was well past midnight and Bulma was still up in the lab, hunched over her table with a cup of coffee in hand. Trunks was beside her, resting in a makeshift crib that she'd thrown together so that she could attend to her child at the same time. He was surprisingly quiet; not asleep, but not causing a fit either.

Bulma paused from the books in front of her and turned to Trunks, smiling a little as she watched her son. She felt happier, as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. And, to top it off, she knew exactly why she felt that way too. It may not have seemed like much to other people, but Bulma was extremely proud of the breakthrough she'd had with the stubborn saiyan. Requesting her help was a big step for someone with so much pride; it displayed the unspoken trust he had in her and the willingness to be vulnerable, even if it was just a little. Vegeta still kept to himself most of the time and was grumpy, but Bulma was convinced that she'd gotten her foot in the door and that things could only get better from then on.

She smiled at nothing in particular, then sighed, reminding herself that she was an adult and couldn't afford to act like a love-struck teenager. "Stop being so immature", she hissed at herself. Then, after thinking about it for a moment, she added, "still talking to myself, ugh".

Bulma shook her head and turned back to the work laid out in front of her. Vegeta had already established the fact that a full moon was ultimately the source of power for the transformation. This, of course, meant that a moon that wasn't full provided energy, but not enough for an actual transformation. Bulma sighed. Could there be some way to harness this energy? It wasn't something she, or any human scientist, could understand. The actual light from the moon was only a reflection of the sun's energy, so maybe, it was the sun that was indirectly fueling the way the moon affected saiyans.

Bulma gasped, a light bulb suddenly lighting up in her head. She quickly shifted aside the books in front of her and grabbed her laptop. She just had to check something up and…

"Vegeta! Vegeta! I've got it!" Bulma yelled excitedly, rushing up the stairs and bursting into the room, startling a naked Vegeta out of bed.


	5. there's hope

Here I am, about a year and a half later, attempting to pick up on something I had started with such high hopes. I re-read the first four chapters of this fanfic about a month ago and decided that it still has potential. I think I stopped writing it because things just got kind of busy and I didn't feel the urge to write anymore. But I miss writing now. I miss this and I've made a decision to finish it till the end. So, here goes..

there's hope

"Oh Shit! Sorry!" Bulma recoiled quickly and shielded her eyes, hoping to give Vegeta at least some privacy. She was surprised when all he did was laugh, and even though she was curious to know what was so funny, she kept her eyes averted, afraid to look.

"Stupid woman, what are you doing?"

"Uh, i-is it ok to-"

"I'm back in my bed, so stop being so childish. And it's nothing you haven't seen before", he reminded her. Bulma turned her head around and looked at him, glaring right into his dark eyes.

"You're the one who runs into my room like a madwoman in the middle of the night, and now you're angry?"

"I didn't know you slept naked", she muttered, stepping into the room, clutching the book and papers in her arms tighter.

"So, what did you want?" Vegeta asked, patting the space beside him on the bed. He moved with a casual air about him, a slight hint of taunting in his voice. He was playing around with her now, seeing how far he could push her before she cracked.

Bulma sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting atop the covers and keeping a safe distance. The sheets below her felt vividly familiar, their texture and smoothness already memorized long ago by her fingers. _Stupid, stupid Vegeta_, she thought angrily, her face turning bright red. She was extremely thankful that it was rather dark in the room.

"I've got it", she repeated stupidly, stalling for time as she quickly tried to collect her thoughts. Her mind had momentarily stopped working and the current situation that Vegeta had somehow forced her into did nothing to help.

"What have you 'got'?" Vegeta asked, leaning forward so that his upper body was just inches away from Bulma. She swallowed and moved slightly away, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. She was more than certain that he could sense her nervousness.

_I can't let him win_, she thought. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she began, "S-so, I was trying to think about more than just the moon. You know, the moon itself doesn't actually have any light. It just-"

"I know, the light is reflected from the sun. That's been established".

"Did we talk about that already?"

"No, but it's common sense", Vegeta sighed.

"Okay, okay. I was looking at one of your books and there were these really weird drawings from a long time ago that some philosopher drew up. It had to do with the positioning of the sun and the moon, and how, during different times of the day, the amount of energy passing between the two objects varies. No one believed him and they just disregarded his theories as nonsense, but it somehow got published, and the more I looked at them, the more I realized… V-vegeta, please stop that", Bulma was at the edge of the bed now, one leg already over the side and the other one ready to follow.

"Stop what?"

"You know what you're doing! Can you at least try to be professional? Just a little?" Bulma squeezed her eyes shut as her other foot hit the floor. She was trying her hardest to stay on the bed, but it really was rather difficult.

"Professional?" Vegeta chuckled, "who said anything about being professional?"

"I-I agreed to help you. I thought we-"

"But no one said anything about being professional. Woman, you are the mother of my child. How much more _professional_ can it get than that?"

Bulma had nothing to reply with. She'd always prided herself on being good at arguing, always able to get the last word. But Vegeta had left her speechless.

"That was a mistake", she murmured quietly after a moment of silence. "And, besides, it was necessary to help us win. You saw how the future Trunks turned out. A super saiyan, and quite good looking too, no thanks to you".

"Your words contradict themselves", Vegeta replied smoothly, "how can it be both a mistake _and_ a necessary action?"

"Well, I can't think straight with you breathing down my neck like that. It's really disturbing, alright?" Bulma retorted.

"Really? Disturbing?" Vegeta smirked, "Because that's not what the rest of your body is saying". He leaned closer, and even though Bulma couldn't see anything in the darkness, she could imagine the way he looked, like a predator that was slowly closing in on its prey. Sad thing was, the prey was just as eager to be taken away.

She felt his lips lightly graze the sensitive area between her neck and shoulders, sending a shiver through her body. Her hands loosened and the pieces of paper slid out of her lap. A second later, the book she was holding clattered to the floor as well. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes- not tears of sadness nor happiness, but tears of confusion, because she didn't know what she wanted at that moment.

Everything felt too familiar. Everything, from the intoxicating scent that could only belong to one person to the way the her body was reacting, felt familiar, causing the same rush of memories and images that often resounded in her head to flood over her. She was well aware of what she getting herself into, and even though she knew the consequences better than anybody else, she couldn't put up any resistance.

Before her mind could register it, Bulma found herself turned around on the bed, Vegeta's face dangerously close to hers. She could vaguely feel his fingers run down her arms before he slipped his hands behind her, encircling her waist with his strong arms and pulling her against him. He kissed her everywhere but her lips, lingering on certain, sensitive spots on her neck before moving down to her collarbone. Bulma squeezed her eyes shut as she continued to fight her inner battle. Her mind, and what sensible part of her that remained, was screaming, warning her that this wasn't what she'd come here for. The rest of her, which ran on pure human instinct, did nothing to stop. She was still tentative about embracing Vegeta's actions, but at least she wasn't forcing him away.

She felt one of his hands slide lower, along her waist and down past her hips, where his fingers curled around her leg and pulled it around him, causing her to lose balance and topple onto him. Even if she'd wanted to stop now, there wasn't much chance of Vegeta letting up. _So you're just going to pretend you can't do anything? _The nagging voice in her mind was definitely becoming annoying. Couldn't it just let her forget everything just for a little bit?

_I can't do this again_, she though desperately while her body betrayed her, arching naturally towards Vegeta as he ran his hands down her back, pushing her closer to him. _You're not supposed to be the one who gives in first, remember? You're only doing this because Trunks deserves a father! Oh, shoot, Trunks! I forgot about Trunks!_

Bulma's eyes snapped open as the imagine of her baby clouded her mind, causing her to quickly scramble off of Vegeta's lap. How had she ended up there again?

"Trunks!" she sputtered, "I-I forgot, he's still in the lab. Sorry, Vegeta, this has to wait". She dashed out of the room and down the stairs, and only after she had let herself into the lab did she catch the double meaning of her words. She made a quick mental note to explain to Vegeta later that she'd meant their discussion on her findings would have to wait, not the…_other_ thing.

Trunks had quietly fallen asleep in the lab and was sprawled out across the blanket underneath him, his chubby arms and legs pointing in all directions. Bulma couldn't help smiling as she gently scooped the baby into her arms and carried him back to his room, placing him in his crib and covering him with a blanket. She considered returning to Vegeta's room, but decided against it. And for good reasons, too.

It wouldn't hurt to wait until morning to relay all her ideas to Vegeta, but more importantly, she knew she wouldn't be able to return to that room without doing something she would regret. With a defeated sigh, Bulma sat down in the chair beside the crib and busied herself with staring at the wall. The effects of the coffee she'd been drinking hadn't run out yet, so she was nowhere near tired. It was quite ironic, actually, that the one night Trunks was silent, she didn't need to sleep.

Again, her thoughts nudged at her, tempting her to go back to Vegeta's room. It was the opportune moment, with Trunks asleep and all, but she fought herself, forcing her body to remain in the chair. She had to think things through more carefully. Vegeta always seemed to gain the upper hand and she couldn't quite figure out why. She doubted that he ever planned things out the way she did, or gave his actions any thought, for that matter. And she was supposed to be the smart one, wasn't she?

"Seriously, what am I doing wrong?" Bulma murmured aloud. There was a folded blanket sitting on the stand beside her chair. Bulma picked it up and wrapped it around her body, then curled herself into a somewhat comfortable position on the chair and fell asleep, her head leaning against the bars of the crib.

* * *

Vegeta returned from the GR the next morning to find Bulma in the kitchen, scooping bits of a banana with a spoon and feeding it to Trunks. He stood in the doorway, staring at the strange scene for a while before making his presence known.

"I left your food in the oven so it stays warm", Bulma said automatically, not bothering to look up. Vegeta, sensing that something was out of place, made no reply and headed for the oven, opening the doors to reveal a generous portion of breakfast. He noticed after a while that everything on his plate were foods he particularly liked, and wondered briefly if the woman had done that on purpose before pushing the thought aside. There was no reason for her to do something like that, so he must have been over-thinking it.

"You can tell me about what you were so eager to share last night, woman", he announced, picking up his fork. Bulma paused, mid-scoop, but kept her eyes on Trunks, who was staring intently at his father.

"Can we talk about it after this? Everything's downstairs in the la- oh, they're in your room, actually", she remembered.

"I'll get them then", Vegeta agreed. He was slightly surprised at their conversation that morning, wondering what it was that made them so polite with each other. He knew that, on his part, it was because he didn't want to piss off the woman and ruin any chance of getting her help that day. But she, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any reason to be nice. Something was still off in the way she acted; not just her strangely cordial way of dealing with him, but in the way she acted as well, as if she were somehow trying to keep her distance.

When he'd finished everything on his plate, which didn't take long, Vegeta stood up and headed for the door, pausing as he was about to step out of the kitchen and mumbling something about taking a quick shower, before he continued the rest of the way to his room. He could hear Bulma holding her breath, and only was he halfway up the stairs did he hear her let it out.

_Something's wrong with the damn woman again_, he thought, pushing open the door to his room. _Why do I even care, anyways? Oh, right, I can't afford to have her in a bad mood today_. He stripped off his clothes on the way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of dirty laundry behind him; It was the most efficient and quickest way of showering. He yawned as he stepped into the shower and shut the door behind him, automatically reaching out to grab the soap. Damn, he was tired.

After the woman had barged in last night, then disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared, he had been left alone in his room, unable to fall asleep. Of course, there was good reason for his insomnia and he was surprised to find that, for once, it wasn't a nightmare that kept him up at night, but the thought of a woman.

Bulma-he disliked her name to some extent, because it didn't really do her justice- was the most baffling person he'd ever come across, human or not. Sure, he'd had his fair share of weirdos back in his earlier days when he worked under Frieza, but this woman was different. She wasn't outright crazy, although she sure did act that way sometimes. No, it was more that she had layers to her personality, that she was someone who couldn't be fully understood in a single glance. He yawned again. Why was he even trying to understand her? Sure, she intrigued him to an extent, but he'd always believed he was above such pointless interests. Even if, say, he _did _have her all figured out, then what? It wasn't like she was some enemy he could conquer. She was just a weak, earthling woman, for crying out loud! But still, he couldn't help wanting to know every detail of her being, to have everything figured out, so that he could have completely control over her life. That'd be kind of cool, wouldn't it?

Vegeta rinsed the soap off of his body and shut off the water, groping for his towel. He wrapped it loosely around his waist and made his way out of the bathroom. He remembered that the day had been pretty nice out, so he stepped over to the curtains and pulled them open. He couldn't even remember the last time these curtains were opened, but the new feeling of the room was refreshing.

Sunlight streamed in from the windows, creating a pattern of shadows on the floor that matched the bars on the window. Vegeta pushed opened one of the window panes, allowing fresh air to flow into the room. There was a slight, cool breeze that felt surprisingly nice on his skin, which had been pelted with hot water just moments before.

He saw the book and papers scattered on the floor as he approached his bed. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered why the material had fallen there in the first place. He picked up the pieces of paper and tucked them inside the book, then set it on the bed before slipping off his towel and putting on fresh clothes. He closed his eyes for a moment and quietly sat, listening to the house. The woman was in the nursery, putting the brat into his crib. She would, no doubt, be looking for him soon.

He got back to his feet, picked up the book, and left the room.

Bulma was still in the nursery, leaning over the crib when Vegeta walked in. He leaned casually against the door frame, waiting to see how long it would be before she noticed his presence. It wasn't really a fair game, because he knew her human senses were inferior to his, but still, it was something amusing to do. Bulma was quietly humming as she reached a hand into the crib and gently patted Trunk's head. The child was fast asleep, wrapped in a colorful blanket decorated with different baby animals.

Vegeta let out a small cough to announce his presence and Bulma jumped, turning to give him a glare before returning her attention to the baby. It took all of her self-restraint to not shrink away as Vegeta stepped up behind her, placing his hands on the railing with his arms extending around either side of her so that she was trapped between the crib and his chest.

"He's asleep. Stop stalling", he stated simply. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to not shiver as a trail of warm air trickled down her back.

"Then, please move", Bulma finally uttered.

Vegeta waited a moment longer before obeying. He took a step back and crossed his arms, leaving just enough space for Bulma to quickly slip away. She edged past his body and paused at the rocking chair beside the door to pick up a strange looking set of shiny, transparent objects with a slight metallic tint to them before stepping out the door.

"Come on", she said. Vegeta followed her, giving one last glance at the crib standing in the middle of the room before quietly shutting the door.

"I've always wondered what this door was for", Vegeta commented quietly, waiting behind Bulma as she fumbled with a set of keys. There was a door, just one of many in the upstairs hallways of Capsule Corp., that Vegeta had never seen being used. It sat quietly at the western end of the house, and every time Vegeta passed it, he would pause in front of it and listen intently, hoping to catch even the slightest hint of what was behind those doors.

"This was my bedroom when I was a child", Bulma explain as she pushed open the door. "I lived here until I turned 16, then I moved into my current room. I had one of those "teenager" stages where I refused to be associated with anything that would make me seem like a child".

Vegeta stared at her blankly, obviously not understanding the intricacies of human life.

"Right. Nevermind", Bulma grinned. "My dad has the housekeeper tidy up this place once in a while, so it's really clean. No dust or anything like that".

"I've never seen a housekeeper around here", Vegeta retorted.

"That's because she comes early in the morning. You're normally in the GR at that time", Bulma replied. Vegeta blinked. Apparently, the woman was quite aware of his daily routines. The thought brought a small smile to his face before he quickly wiped it away, replacing it with a look of nonchalance.

"Why'd we have to come here?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I'll show you. Here, sit on the bed and look this way", Bulma instructed. She waited until Vegeta had seated himself on the pink, frilly bed, then stepped over to the largest window in the room and flung open the curtains.

"I see… my gravity room", Vegeta snorted, "Are you going to tell me you spy on me every morning from this place?"

"What? No, I don't even come in here", Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Then hurry and explain, woman".

"Ugh", Bulma groaned at Vegeta's impatience, but did as she was told. She sat down beside him on the bed and opened the book in her lap, pulling out the pieces of paper that had been tucked in. "As I was saying last night", she began, "the energies of the sun and the moon heavily influence each other. The moon glows at night because of the sun's reflection, but think about it. The exact location where we are- also known as the place where you would be if you wanted to receive any of the moon's energy- is in between the sun and the moon. It seems weird, but because both celestial bodies are not visibly present at the same time, the power that each one has diminishes. Therefore, except during a full moon, the time where the energy from the moon is felt strongest on Earth is during sunsets, when the sun and moon are occupying the sky at the same time. I created a few of my own diagrams that combined what the researchers put together centuries ago and came up with a time table. Then, I cross examined that with the almanac I got the other day, and…Vegeta? Are you following what I'm saying?"

"No. Not really", he hated to admit incompetency in any form and Bulma was well aware of that fact.

"It's ok", she replied quickly, "you just need to know that the strongest you can get without fully transforming is by using the moon's energy during a sunset".

"Ok, that makes sense", he nodded. He had noticed fluctuations in his power levels at different times of the day. "But then, why'd we have to come in here?"

"I looked at the blue-prints of this house last night after I realized this", Bulma explained. "This is purely coincidental, but, the way this room was built, with this large window here and that smaller window up there, well, that's where the sunset and moonrise are visible. One through each of those windows. And anyone standing in this room would be in a direct line of contact with both objects".

"So why can't we just do it outside?" Vegeta asked.

"Well, you could. But I mean, if it were that easy, then I'm sure even _you_ would have figured it out by now, right?"

"Just get to the point, woman".

"Geez, what is with you always being so impatient? Fine, look, see?" She held up the objects she had picked up earlier in the nursery for Vegeta to see. "These are slabs of glass created in my dad's lab, not yet available to the public. They're best used for their magnifying qualities. So, if we put these in front of the two windows, any light energy from either the moon or the sun is magnified. And depending on how many pieces we put, the new intensity could be anywhere from 20 to 100 times greater".

"So we're going to take the energy that comes from the sun or the moon and focus it? And you're telling me that if I stand in the right spot in this room, then I'll be receiving that energy?" Vegeta sounded skeptical. It seemed to simple and too easy to be true. Something this basic should have been figured out long ago.

"Yeah, that's the basic idea", Bulma nodded. I can't guarantee that this will work for sure, but it's worth a try, isn't it?

"Would I be able to reach super saiyan?" Vegeta asked.

Bulma looked at him for a moment, eyes slightly blank and deep in thought. "I don't think I know enough about your saiyan anatomy to answer that", she finally said. "What exactly is super saiyan anyways?"

Vegeta snorted. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it".

"You really think that?" Bulma challenged, "try me".

"No. It doesn't matter. All you have to concern yourself with is the fact that more energy is better". Vegeta stood up, reaching out his arm to take the glass panes from Bulma. "Let's try this thing already, we're wasting time".

"Wait, Vegeta, it's not the right time of the day yet. The sunlight has to be coming in from that window", Bulma reminded him gently.

He gave her a look- half embarrassed, half impatient- then asked, "Well, can we at least put these thing in the window?"

"Yeah, of course", Bulma nodded, "I'm just gonna go grab a ladder to reach that higher window up there".

"Woman, are you really that dense?" Vegeta snorted. He took all the pieces of glass in one hand and scooped Bulma up in the other, then proceeded to float effortlessly up towards the small, round window near the ceiling.

Bulma yelped in protest as Vegeta lifted her toward the window, demanding that she begin installing the glass planes at once.

"I can't work like this!" she yelled loudly.

"What's wrong with this? Hurry up!" Vegeta replied almost as loudly.

Bulma, realizing she wasn't really in a place to bargain, considering she was about 10 feet in the air with no ability to fly, snatched a piece of glass from Vegeta and began to work, grumbling to herself.

The pieces of glass had already been measured out early that morning according to the blueprints of the house. They fit nicely in the round hole that the sides of the window created. As the last piece of glass popped in with a small 'click', Bulma couldn't help but smile a little.

Yes, she was doing this for a jerk who was nowhere near appreciative of her efforts, but despite the circumstances, she was proud of the little accomplishment she had just... well, accomplished. She would have been extremely happy, if it weren't for the fact that Vegeta was still supporting her in mid-air, waiting for her to explain that she was done.

"That's it?" he asked skeptically, looking quite reluctant to believe her.

"Yep! That's the genius of it", Bulma motioned for him to bring her back to the ground. "You don't always need super advanced technology. This is just a very basic concept, and once you understand the underlying principles, it's not that hard to figure out a way to execute the technical aspects of it".

Vegeta set her down and looked at her strangely. Bulma had a hunch that he didn't understand some of the things she'd just said.

"Anyways, we've still got to do that window", she pointed to the larger window across the room. Vegeta nodded and crossed his arms, taking a step back so Bulma could get to work.

She put the glass panes against the large window and gently secured them the same way she had done for the smaller window. Again, the pieces fit perfectly.

"Now, then, that's all done. We'll just come back here around 5, okay?" Bulma smiled a little and began heading out of the room. As her fingers reached for the doorknob, barely touching the round piece of metal, a quick rush of wind blew past her side and less than a second later, she found Vegeta standing between her and the door. He'd managed to push her far back enough to make room for himself, but it was still a very small space, such that their bodies were almost touching, but not quite. Bulma stumbled back, the combination of Vegeta's sudden proximity and her own reaction overwhelming her completely.

"Where are you going?" he asked. There was a slight hint of menace in his voice.

"I've got to make sure Trunks is-"

"He's still asleep".

"Oh, but-" Bulma stuttered, unable to find the right response. She knew of Vegeta's inhuman abilities, so of course he would be able to know what Trunk was doing at all times, but that had been her last resort for escaping the room.

"No more excuses" Vegeta murmured softly, stepping forward. He kept one hand behind Bulma's back, keeping her from falling as he continued to step forward, forcing her to back up until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed. "Wait here with me, woman", the slightest bit of urgency in his voice was not missed by Bulma, who, despite almost losing her mind at the closeness of the man in front of her, still retained some of her analytical capabilities. In short, Vegeta may have startled her for a moment, but she could still sense that he was slowly losing control of himself as well.

Well, two could play at that game. She tilted her head up, forcing their eyes to meet. There was a small smirk gracing his extremely handsome features, causing her heart to thump just a bit louder and faster. _It's happening all over again, _her mind realized.

Vegeta was not in the mood to mess around with her mind today; he didn't bother with any of the teasing and games he'd tried last night. He gave no warning as he lurched forward, throwing both of their bodies onto the bed. It took just about all of his self-control to remember how breakable humans were, and more importantly, how fragile the one under him was.

"We- we shouldn't!" Bulma managed to blurt out, terrified of the situation she was currently in. It wasn't Vegeta who scared her; it was just more of what was to come if she gave in. Her mind fought an inner battle against the rest of her body, which momentarily distracted her. By the time she managed to gather her thoughts, or what little was left of them, she didn't have enough left in her to fight back. And, in all honesty, she didn't want to anymore.

* * *

It felt like morning when the light around him grew more intense, sending surges of energy through his body and forcing him away from his sleep. He was awake before his eyes opened and the first thought that ran through his mind was that he had missed something. He tried to turn onto his side, but stopped when he felt something soft and warm wiggle beside him.

_What the…_ He froze for a moment, his mind panicking at the fact that he couldn't immediately recognize what was going on. Then, as his memories slowly came back to him, he relaxed and sunk deeper into the bed, his arm unconsciously wrapping itself around the figure next to him. He became more aware of the time of day as well- it was very bright in the room because the sun was right outside the window, slowly sinking, but glowing nevertheless.

The woman had been right. He could feel waves of energy around the room, a combination of the sun's warmth and the moon fueling his saiyan nature. Vegeta closed his eyes, a strange feeling coming over him. He felt… happy. Was that the right emotion? He wouldn't know, of course, because he couldn't recall the last time he'd felt like this. Sure, he'd been satisfied or content before, but never just genuinely happy. He had to admit it felt nice, but on second thought, he decided that it really scared the crap out of him.

As he mulled over his thoughts, his fingers found their way into the soft, blue tresses of the girl beside him. They intertwined with strands of hair, each movement bringing a small sliver of excitement to him. He'd never felt such a texture before; it was so sleek, so delicate, and so fragile. It was something he could break without even trying. If fact, now that he thought about it, he could probably break her whole body without even meaning to. That scared him. And the fact that something as trivial as that could scare him, scared him even more.

"Vege-".

He looked down. The woman was talking in her sleep, something he'd fully expected from someone who liked to talk so much when she was awake.

"Hmm?" He responded, even though he knew she wasn't really talking to him. It felt nice to have someone talk to him so gently.

"Can you get Trunk's blanket for him?" Ok… she was _definitely _sleeptalking.

"Sure", he smirked and played along, wondering what she'd say next.

"He's so lucky to have a father like you…"

_What?_ Vegeta frowned. She couldn't possibly really believe that.

"… who'd be able to protect him… even if you don't show it…" Her words were only coherent half the time, the other half coming out in mere mumbles that were completely incomprehensible.

Vegeta shifted himself a little so that he had a better view. There was a small smile gracing her lips, which, when combined with the tiny frown on her brow, formed an image of a loving, but constantly worried mother who could never settle for just sitting still and allowing life to pass her by. That was exactly Bulma. She was always doing something, always moving around, talking- _or yelling , _Vegeta added- or, even helping. But she was always doing _something_.

"This silence suits you so much better", Vegeta said aloud.

"What did you say?" Of all the things she could have woken up to, it had to be that line.

"Nothing", he lifted his arm off of her and rolled onto his back to look up at the ceiling. The bright orange rays from the window reflected off the polished walls, causing the whole room to glow warmly. Bulma turned onto her side and looked up at Vegeta, one hand playing idly with a corner of the blanket.

"It's almost time", she said softly.

"I know", he replied.

"Let's hope this works".

"I can feel it".

"Feel it?" Bulma echoed.

"I can feel the difference in energy"

"Really? That's great! I mean, usually I test out my theories, but you know, it's not like I have another saiyan just lying around waiting for lab tests to be run on or anything like that. This is pretty exciting, Vegeta", Bulma was grinning widely now, one hand gripping Vegeta's arm excitedly in anticipation.

"Stop that, woman", Vegeta pulled his arm away and sat up, throwing on his clothes as he got out of bed. Bulma frowned and sat up, watching him as he strode over to the center of the room.

Vegeta sat down and breathed in deeply, as if in meditation. Intrigued, Bulma watched from her spot on the bed as Vegeta's eyes closed. His breathing was deep and even, each breath causing his chest to rise steadily, then fall.

The sunset was growing nearer and the amount of energy that Vegeta could feel passing through his body gradually increased. It was unlike anything he had felt before. Incredible power seemed to flow through him, but even so, there seemed to be a barrier he still couldn't quite cross.

Bulma's voice, sounding faded and distant, spoke to him, "Just one more minute, Vegeta".

He nodded slightly in response and continued to breathe.

The minute passed slowly, and at the very moment the sun and moon were directly aligned, with Vegeta as the third point in that line, he felt every inch of his body surge with power. The feeling shocked him, but at the same time, it was disappointing.

No super saiyan. Nothing.

He had felt stronger for that fleeting moment, but then it was over. And he had felt nowhere near reaching super saiyan.

"I don't think it worked", his voice was dull.

"It didn't work at all?" Bulma asked, stepping out of bed. She wrapped the thin sheet atop the covers around her into a loose dress and walked closer to Vegeta, kneeling beside him.

"It worked, in a way, but it's not enough", Vegeta replied.

"I should have mentioned this earlier, but, the amount of energy that is available varies throughout the month. It's strongest during the full moon. And, since that was a week and a half ago, it makes sense that the energy from the moon isn't as strong right now". Bulma lowered her head and placed a hand on Vegeta's back, her eyes looking up at his with a comforting gaze. As if to say, "it'll be alright", her lips curved into a careful smile.

"Maybe", Vegeta shrugged. The woman had a point. He wasn't happy that he had to wait, but it meant that this wasn't the end yet. There was still some sort of hope.

* * *

A/N: The little blurb about the moon and the sun and everything was all made up (obviously) but if you look at it with a twisted sense of logic, it really does make sense :D

Please review, it would definitely make my day!


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